New Willy Wonka Movie Is Coming With 'Paddington' Helmer in Talks to Direct

Paul King is reportedly in final negotiations to helm the reimagining of Roald Dahl's classic children's book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', which is being developed by Warner Bros.

Feb 13, 2018

AceShowbiz - Get ready to indulge yourself in the sweetness of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. A reimagining of Roald Dahl's classic children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" has been in development at Warner Bros. and now "Paddington" movies helmer Paul King is said to be eyed to direct the new movie.

Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that King is in final negotiations to direct the new take which is currently known as "Willy Wonka". Should the deal be sealed, the project will reunite King with David Heyman, who produces the "Paddington" movies.

Simon Rich ("The Secret Life of Pets") is on board to write the script, with Michael Siegel of Dahl Estate and Kevin McCronick serving as executive producers. The story will focus on Willy Wonka's early adventures prior to the events of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

Heyman previously told /Film, "It's not a remake. They've done two films, quite different. But it's possibly an origin story. We're just in the early stages of it, working with a writer called Simon Rich, which is wonderful...I think there's a lot in his character that suggests who he is and also where he might come from or what his childhood or his middle age might have been like. So we're exploring that. We're discussing it. We're in the very early stages and very excited about what lies ahead."

Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" has been adapted into movie twice before, with Gene Wilder portraying Willy Wonka in the 1971 film and Johnny Depp taking on the role in the 2005 adaptation.

Warner Bros. hopes that the upcoming film will be a golden ticket to a new franchise that stands out artistically. Another adaptation of Dahl's work "The Witches" is also in the works at the studio with a script from Guillermo del Toro.

King currently has his movie "Paddington 2" playing in theaters across the nation. The live-action/CGI animated movie follows the success of its predecessor, receiving an approval rating of 100|percent| and an average rating of 8.7/10 based on 184 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It opened to $11 million in North America box office in its first weekend and has grossed $38.5 million domestically so far, for a current worldwide total of $167.1 million.